Category: Real Estate News

Market shifting in buyers’ favour, though hesitation remains Metro Vancouver home sales registered on the MLS® remained below seasonal and historical averages in June. With reduced competition among buyers, inventory has continued to accumulate to levels not seen since the spring of 2019. The Greater Vancouver REALTORS® (GVR) reports that residential sales in the region […]

The number of transactions on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) declined in May compared to what is typical for this time of year in Metro Vancouver. This shift has allowed the inventory of homes available for sale to continue to accumulate with over 13,000 homes now actively listed on the MLS® in the region. The […]

Canada is extending its foreign homebuyer ban until 2027. On Feb 4, 2024 – the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, announced the federal government’s intent to extend by an additional two years, the existing ban on foreign ownership of Canadian housing. Under the ban, which first came into effect in 2023, […]

As of May 2024, the BC Government will be adding its own short-term rental restrictions, which will be in addition to municipal and strata restrictions. The main thrust of the new provincial government legislation is to keep short-term rentals within principal residences only. Although the details are still evolving, below are the current highlights that […]

The Bank of Canada maintained its overnight rate at 5 per cent this morning. In the statement accompanying the decision, the Bank noted that there is growing evidence that higher interest rates are dampening economic activity, and it expects growth to be weak through 2024. On inflation, the Bank sees little downward momentum in its […]

As summer winds to a close, higher borrowing costs have begun to permeate the Metro Vancouver housing market in predictable ways, with price gains cooling and sales slowing along the typical seasonal pattern. The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential home sales in the region totalled 2,296 in August 2023, a 21.4 per […]

BILL 44 – 2022: BUILDING AND STRATA STATUTES AMENDMENT ACT. On November 24, 2022, the BC Government passed amendments to the Strata Property Act which take immediate effect.   There are three significant changes impacting strata properties: 1. All rental restriction bylaws are removed, except for bylaws restricting short-term rentals such as Airbnb or Vrbo. […]

The B.C. government is extending its speculation and vacancy tax to more communities starting in January 2023. Squamish, Lions Bay, Duncan, North Cowichan, Ladysmith and Lake Cowichan will be added to the list, which already included Metro Vancouver, Greater Victoria, Nanaimo, Lantzville, Abbotsford, Mission, Chilliwack, Kelowna, and West Kelowna. The tax rate is 2% of […]

Non-Canadian and non-Permanent Residents will no longer be able purchase a property in Canada starting January 1, 2023. Here is some key information regarding the Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadian Act: * In an effort to address concerns about housing affordability, the federal government passed a two-year restriction on the purchase […]

Spring ushers in calmer housing market trends in Metro Vancouver   After reaching record-setting levels in 2021, home sale activity has returned to more typical seasonal levels in Metro Vancouver this spring due, in large part, to rising interest rates.   The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential home sales in the […]